The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-08-24
The Hoax of the Chicago News
About North Calais.

The necessity of going away from home
to get the news has received a new illustra-
ton. All the way from Chicago there comes
a story which, although it is said to have
taken place within a few miles of Mont
peler, has been kept remarkably quiet
there. PROFESSIONALLY the Chicago Ne1cS
has an exclusive" a clean scoop" 1t
should publish New England edition and
get its South Woodbury. correspondent to
edit it, The veracious account to which this
refers purports to give the circumstances of
sensational attempt to burglarize the safe
in the railroad station at North Calais in this
state. There were $40 600 in money sent up
from the Montpelier banks for the stone
quarries in the vicinity of Calais, so runs
the tale, and this large amount was left over
night in little country railroad station at
North Calais, which the readers of the
NelcS are told is a small town on a branch
of the Wells River road. The station is a
mile from the village which would of course
add to the security of this large amount of
money. The only guard was the night sta
ton agent, Herman S. Benjamin, a sturdy
Green Mountain boy, who lives in Wood
bury, three miles away" The night eN-
press passed this station ON the little branch
road, and on this occasion it stopped and a
cotfin-box. presumably holding IA corpse,
was left at the station to be called for
About this time-neary mdnight-the
telegraph instrument, which had been in a
great state of disturbance, called frequently
to the agent and repeated several times the
mysterious warning, Watch the box"
Benjamin could not find out where the
warning came from, but 1t couldn't help inn
pressing him, and he did keep sharp eye
on the coffin for awhile. Finally he fell off
into doZe with his revolver under his pill
low, but awoke to see the lid of the coffin
rising, followed by man, who sat upright
and finally got out of the box. He wore a
Grape mask and had some tools and bulls
eye lantern in his hands He assur ed him
self that the station agent was asleep and
then went to work on the safe. AS soon as
his back was turned young Benjamin sprang
upon him. Both men We're powerful, but
BENJAMIN had the advantage and the
burglar drew knife, upon which his an
tagonist shot him in the shoulder. Think
ing him dead, Ben jamn rushed to the vii
lage for doctor He reached the residence
of DIR. Holt all out of breath, and awoke the
physician, to whom he hurredly told the
tale, and with less than ten minutes delay
the two men were running toward the sta
ton. Half way there they We're passed by
top-wagon being driven furiousy toward
the village. They called to the driver, but
he paid no attention to them.
When they entered the station to their
surprise they found the supposed dead man
gone. There was the empty coffin and the
burglar tools just as the robber dropped
them, besides pool of blood ON the floor
but that was all. Drops of blood led along
the floor to the door, showing how the thie1
had gone, and fresh wagon wheels in the
earth at the door showed the means Of
escape. He had evidently had an accom-
plice. The coffin, upon examination was
found to have been bolted on the inside
the supposed screws being bogus. 1t was
furnished comfortably, and the air holes il
the side made his life inside almost a luxury
Next day the matter was reported to the
railway officials, who rewarded Benjamin
handsomely and began an investigation
Tho on NVbn rot the orlpr N th,
express at the station and who shipped thu
coffin from Montpelier could not be founC
and eluded capture. The company ther
examined every operator along the line "a
to who sent the warning message, but ont
and all declared that they did not.
Such is the story which is said to be thu
sole topic of conversation in the neighbor
hood as well it might be If true. We ar
also informed that the coffin, tools an'
blood-stains " decline to be removed, " what
ever that may mean, and the station-agen
politely points them out to visitors. Rail
roads must be rebuilt in order to brini
North Calais within several miles of one
therefore it is highly probable that if an,
one can find the railroad station they cal
probably find the evidences of the grea
sensation. 1t seems very probable, too, tina
about forty thousand dollars in none
would be left over night, without a specia
guard, in lonely country station, or that
night express would run over a small branc
road, or that there would be a night statio
agent in so small place Add to this tn
fact that so startling an event does no
seem to have become known in a rego
where every town has several reporters fo
local papers, and that the enterprise of tn
associated press did not obtain hint of
10 send over the wire, and there seems
have been accumulated number of mark
of improbability.
If the genial Eugene Field, the funn
man of the NelcS, wants TO give his hume
vent in startling special correspondence Il
fine himself to the limitess prairies whel
his lurid Imagination can roam at will
otherwise these little errors of fact ma
creep in and render his funny stori'
pathetic in their failure to appear genuine.
Rutidnd Herdtd